Note 1 — Chapter VII · Southern Leyte Valley: Part One

In their preliminary planning, the Japanese considered that the defense of Leyte would be only a delaying action. The defenders were to inflict as many casualties as possible upon the invaders and also to prevent them from using the Leyte airfields, but the decisive battle for the Philippines would be fought on Luzon. As late as 10 October the chief of staff of the 35th Army received the following order from Manila: “Depending on conditions the 35th Army will prepare to dispatch as large a force to LUZON ISLAND as possible.”1